Sword Play
by theLegendoftheDekuShrub
Summary: Link is chosen to be Princess Zelda's new Sword Master after proving himself as the best swordsman in Hyrule. While helping Zelda further her sword skills and secretly crushing on her, Link has to hide his true identity of being the Hero from the whole kingdom, until the time for the Hero of Time arises. Zelda/Link. Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1: The Fence

**A/N: Hey guys. This is my first go at a Zelda fanfiction and I hope I do it justice. This fanfiction is really set during or after one of the games, however I'm using the map from Ocarina of Time. Also in this fic, Zelda has brown hair just like in Twilight Princess and my interpretation of Link may be a bit different. It's hard to tell what sort of personality he has considering he doesn't have any dialogue in the games. If there are any other questions about the fic, please ask. And I hope your guys can tell me what you thought of the first chapter. Enjoy. **

Chapter 1

Since the day she was born, Zelda had been taught all the arts of self defence and other various skills. Before she could be trusted with a sword, she was taught martial arts along with the tedious tasks of learning the politics and history of Hyrule. She was taught how to shoot a bow and arrow and play the ocarina. She was the best swords woman in Hyrule for her age of nineteen years as well as the most elegant ball room dancer the kingdom had ever seen. There wasn't a day where Zelda wasn't kept busy doing either of these things, though she never complained. She just hoped that one day she would be able to rule just as well as her father.

One afternoon, when Zelda was shooting arrows through blazing hoops in one of the many courtyards of Hyrule Castle, the King came down to watch her. However, Zelda knew there was something he was meaning to ask her. Her father never usually visited her during the day. Most of the time they would only see each other at night when it was time for their evening meal. Despite this she enjoyed the company of her father outside in the courtyard, and it also gave her an opportunity to show off how much she had improved her archery skills.

"Well done, Zelda," her father clapped his hands together, smiling proudly. "We ought to bring in some of the monsters of the forest into the castle, I'm afraid burning rings are becoming too easy for you."

Zelda laughed. "I think I'll stick with the burning rings then." Zelda walked over to a small table where a servant poured her a glass of ice cold water. Zelda took a sip, refreshing herself from standing out in the sun for so long. "Is there something you would like to speak to me about, Father?"

"Was I that obvious, dear?" He chuckled. "Yes, there is something I would like to speak with you about. Sir Oliver has brought to my attention that your swordsmanship has far exceeded his and you are in need of a more experienced teacher if you wish to improve. I must say Zelda, I'm not even sure if there _is _a better swordsman in Hyrule, but I shall do my best to find one for you."

"Oh," Zelda said, surprised. Sir Oliver often told her that she might need a new teacher, but Zelda just thought he was joking and being polite. Sir Oliver had been teaching Zelda how to wield a sword since day one and she had never even dreamt of becoming more experienced than even one of the knights of Hyrule. "Are you really sure that's necessary? I've been training with Sir Oliver for years and it wouldn't be the same with another swordsman."

"Oh you'll get used to him. But first, I must find this swordsman."

"And how do you suppose you'll do that?"

"I'll think of something..." he assured her.

The sun was setting down behind the mountains, turning the sky a golden tinge above Lon Lon Ranch. Link had spent the day practising jumps with Epona. As it was getting late, Link realised he needed to get back to Kakariko Village for the night. On his way out, Malon was inspecting the fencing of the Ranch. Over the years it had become rotted and in dire need of a replacement.

"Link, I don't know how I'm supposed to afford new fencing for the entire place. The animals need to be secure and I can't put this off any longer than I already have."

Link absently picked off a bit of the rooted fence, examining just how bad it was.

"Hey!" exclaimed Malon. "Are you trying to make it worst?"

Link chuckled. "How much would it cost for a new one?"

"A good quality fencing job is going to cost me 850 Rupees. It's ridiculous! Where am I supposed to find 850 Rupees? In the bushes?"

Link shrugged. "I'll get the money."

Malon turned around to face him, her dress twirling around with her. "What?"

"I'll get the money," he repeated.

"No way, I couldn't accept it," she said. "I'll find the money somehow."

"It's alright Malon. I want to help," he said.

"Well if it isn't any trouble..."

"None at all. What are friends for?"

"For paying for your fences?" She joked.

"Close enough," he laughed.

As Link and Epona were speeding across Hyrule Field to Kakariko Village, Navi popped out from Link's pocket. "Nice going genius! How exactly are you going to get the Rupees to pay Malon."

"I'll think of something," he told her. "Something'll comes up."

Navi sighed. They rode the rest of the way in silence. Link had no idea how he was going to manage the Rupees to pay for the fence, yet things had always seemed to work out for him in the past, so why not now? All the money he had at the moment was going towards the rent he was playing at the inn and for food and drink. Maybe he _would_ have to search the bushes after all.

A dozen Cuccos were sitting by the entrance to the village and Epona ran straight through them. Clucking and making a fuss, they flew in every direction striving to get away from the great stallion. As long as they didn't start attacking Link, he was happy.

Link arrived at the inn just as the sun had departed from the sea. He walked Epona to the inn's stables and gave her some food for the night. "Night Epona. You did great today," he told her, brushing her mane.

The horse nodded her head at him, swishing her tail in respond.

Link walked round to the door of the inn and noticed the inn keeper nailing a notice onto the door.

"What's this?" Link asked.

"The King's holding a tournament in three days for the best swordsmen in Hyrule. You should enter, Link. I've seen you with a sword. You are quite extraordinary I must say. Where'd you learn to fight like that anyway?" the inn keeper asked.

Link shrugged. "Just picked it up, I suppose."

"Well let me tell you, you have a gift, and you should use that gift to win the tournament. Plus there's a reward in it for you, too. If only I had a thousand Rupees. A big long vacation is what I need," he said, walking back into the inn.

Navi flew over to the poster to get a better look. "Hey Link! You were right! Now we can pay for Malon's fence. This tournament should be a piece of cake for you."

"I told you, Navi," he said smugly. "If only you listened to me more often."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

When Link got into his room he pulled his green tunic off over his head, and collapsed onto his bed. It wasn't even that late in the night yet he was exhausted. He'd also need all the rest he could get if he was going to win the tournament in three days. He pulled his dagger from his belt and flung it onto the table beside him. He was very tempted to use the Master Sword in the tournament but he couldn't risk it being noticed.

When Link was a child, he was told by an old wise man that he was destined to become a great hero who would vanquish the land of all evil. The Master Sword was given to him to protect and guard until that day of the Hero arose. When wielding the sword, Link could almost feel the immense power pulsing through its blade. It was unlike any other sword he had ever encountered and he considered himself lucky to be the one chosen to wield it, for whenever that time came.

To ensure the safety of the sword Link had locked it under lock and key in a large chest he kept hidden in his closet. If it were to fall into the wrong hands, all of Hyrule would be doomed. So Link had no choice than to use his other blade instead for the tournament. It was by no means as powerful as the Master Sword, though Link could wield it just as well.

The more he thought about it, the more excited for the King's tournament he became. He had been ages since he'd been in battle with an actual person. Link only ever seemed to be using his sword in the woods to defeat monsters and Stalfos.

When Link fell asleep, he had a strange dream that he had to defeat a Cucco in the tournament. It was invincible! Whenever Link hit it with his sword, it would only get mad and start pecking at his head. Link tried to block it with his shield but the Cucco had suddenly called in for reinforcements and twenty more Cuccos appeared out of nowhere, surrounding him and pecking him all over his body. The whole crowd was laughing at him as he could hardly defend himself. Then he woke up, breathing heavily. It was only a dream.

"Bad dream, Link," Navi teased.

"I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled. He rolled over and soon fell back into a deep slumber.

**TBC**

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Please review. **


	2. Chapter 2: The Tournament

Chapter Two: The Tournament

The next morning, everybody in Hyrule castle was preparing for the upcoming tournament. Already the stands were being built up, coloured banners were being strung up and multiple striped tents had arisen out of nowhere surrounding the arena. Zelda leaned on the balcony of her bedroom chambers, staring down at all the excitement.

Everybody seemed more energetic and lively than they had a day ago, awaiting the epic tournament. Zelda couldn't keep the smile off her face. She loved to see the people of Hyrule in such good spirits. She shouldn't have surprised her how quickly her father had been able to organize the event, yet she couldn't help but marvel at how spectacular everything was.

Zelda's handmaid Impa had told her that Sir Oliver would be fighting in the tournament and anyone who would be able to defeat him would have the honour of being her new sword master. Her father still wasn't convinced that, apart from Zelda, there actually _was_ anybody in the kingdom would would be able to defeat him, yet they would soon find out.

*

Two days passed and the day of the tournament had finally arrived. Link had woken up earlier that morning (much to Navi's displeasure) to ensure he got to Hyrule Castle in time to register for the tournament. He equipped himself only with his sword and metal shield, as he definitely wouldn't require his boomerang in the tournament. Under his green tunic he wore his heavy chain mail and a white shirt. He attached both braces onto his forearms and pulled on his brown leather gloves. As usual he wore his baggy beige pants with his brown boots other the top. Other his tunic he slashed on baldric, placing his sword in it and finally he pulled on his green hat over his messy blonde hair.

"You nervous, Link," Navi joked.

Link rolled his eyes.

Link was the bravest person Navi had ever known; there was no way he could get nervous. Sometimes when Link got bored, he would march into the forest in the middle of the night as if he owned the place, trying to rid it of the monsters that lived there. It also gave him a chance to test out the Master Sword. To Navi, it seemed that there was no end to his courage, and no matter what, Navi was always dragged into his messy situations. It was a good thing that Link was always able to conquer his enemies, no matter how fierce they were, and without losing a breath too. No wonder the old man thought he was the Hero.

"I'm only doing this to help Malon out," Link stated.

"Don't you want to meet the Princess," Navi teased.

"Shut up, Navi," he said, jokingly glaring daggers at her.

Secretly Link was looking forward to seeing the Princess of Hyrule. They had never met before but he had often seen her sneaking around Castle Town under her hooded black robe at night, enjoying the fresh air and being outside of the castle. It seemed that Link was the only one who ever recognised her when was was wearing her dark attire. Link often heard stories in town of what a great archer she was and how she could even best the knights of Hyrule in a sword fight. Link wished he could have been there to see it. Perhaps she'd even be in the tournament, he wondered.

It was the beginning of the tournament and her father was about to make his speech. Zelda was sitting in her seat to the right of her father in the royal section of the stands. The stands were packed with overly excited spectators. A total of eight contestants were chosen, keeping the number small to ensure that the tournament would only commence for one day. Some tournaments that she had seen often dragged on for days, with the initial rounds boring the hell out of her. It was only in the final rounds where you truly got to see how skilfully the knights fought.

"Dear friends and valiant knights of Hyrule. I wish you all good luck during today's tournament, however only one can triumph, so without any further babblings from me, let the tournament begin!" The King of Hyrule announced.

There were to be four battles in round one, with the first of them being Sir Oliver versing a man from Ordon village. The man from Ordon was rather amateur and Sir Oliver had quickly disposed of his sword and shield swiftly and effortlessly. The man had a bit of a temper and didn't accept defeat very well and had to be escorted off the grounds. As the knights were removing him, he started to shout abuse at Sir Oliver, claiming that he had cheated by using magic and that he should be disqualified, but everybody knew that he was lying. When he refused to shut up one of the knights knocked him out in the back of the head and did the job for him. The entire crowd exploded in laughter.

Next up was Sir Mourent of the King's guard battling against a man residing in Castle Town. Zelda observed that the man from Castle Town was rather good yet his footwork could have been a lot better. Sir Mourent bested him within three minutes of the battle. Extending his hand, Mourent helped the man up unto his feet again, and they shook hands. At least he wasn't an ill-tempered sore loser like the Ordon villager, thought Zelda.

A young boy of sixteen had entered the tournament and was up against a middle aged man from Kakariko Village. The crowd instantly assumed that the boy of sixteen stood no chance but Zelda thought different. The young boy looked confident and composed throughout their entire fight. The boy had managed to strike down the middle aged man when he was lost his footing, winning the battle. The man's injury wasn't serious but it was the worst one so far. The boy and another knight helped the man into the first aid tent where his wound would be treated. Then the fourth and final battle of round one commenced.

A farmer who had taught himself to wield a sword, only having wooden logs and scarecrows to practice with, was up next. He was up against a young man of nineteen years, dressed in green, simply claiming to be from 'around'. He had an impressive sword containing a circular blue Rupee at the bottom of the hilt.

When the battle started, the young man in green began to circle the farmer, assessing the best way of attack. The farmer soon grew impatient of his circling, mistakenly thinking him for a coward, and charged at him with his sword pointed. At the last second, the man in green jumped to the left, whacking the farmer's sword to the ground with his own. The swordless farmer stood there completely shocked that he had been so easily defeated. He tried to reach for his sword however the man in green was one step ahead of him, placing his boot on the farmer's sword.

"Who is that?" Zelda asked her father, impressed.

"I believe his name is Link. He wouldn't say where he was from. Just around," the King replied with emphasis on the word 'around'.

For a second, the audience didn't know how to react, as nobody had ever won a battle _that _quickly, not even Sir Oliver. When it was announced that Link held the new record for the quickest defeat though, the crowd finally cheered and clapped very enthusiastically. It was the best response from the crowd that anybody had received all day.

In round two, Sir Oliver was up against the boy of sixteen. Sir Oliver ended up winning but he was so impressed by the boy that he offered him an apprenticeship. The boy accepted gratefully, thinking that was two hundred times better than the 1000 Rupee reward.

Link and Sir Mourent were up next.

"There's no way he'll be able to beat Mourent as easily as the farmer," the King told Zelda. The King had always rather fond of Sir Mourent.

"Don't be so sure," Zelda said amusingly.

Zelda couldn't help but admire Link and the way he fought. He wasn't tripping over his feet like the man from Castle Town and he would never recklessly rush into things. He would always take his time to observe the situation and plan his best way of attack. He fought with grace too, which surprised her, as not many men could were graceful fighters. Not even Sir Oliver fought like him, and Zelda hadn't known a better swordsman.

Link ended up winning the battle with Sir Mourent. They exchanged a few good words and shook hands before it was time for round three.

Only Sir Oliver and Link were left now. Zelda found herself gripping the arm of her chair in anticipation for this battle. Link intrigue her.

As soon as they were told to begin, Link began moving around his invisible circle. However, Sir Oliver knew what he was doing and matched his steps perfectly. They ended up rotating a whole semi circle before Link took a few steps forward, causally spinning his sword in his left hand. Oliver met him in the middle of their circle and struck his blade. Finally their swords started to dual, blades flashing and ringing loudly. Their movements seemed almost impossible to match yet they both kept up without a sweat.

Seeing a continuing pattern, Link saw the opportunity to make use of his shield. An incoming blow was coming towards him from Sir Oliver's blade and Link used all his strength to push his blade away with his strong metal shield, however, Oliver's grip remained on the hilt of his sword. Now that Sir Oliver was slightly caught of guard, Link used that opportunity to strike him again, this time causing Sir Oliver to lose grip. Before Sir Oliver could pick up his sword, Link pointed the tip of his sword at his neck, causing him to freeze as still as a statue. The crowd gasped. In the background Link could see Princess Zelda's hands clasped over her mouth. Link kicked Sir Oliver's sword away and was declared the victor.

Link removed his sword from the Oliver and slid his sword into his baldric.

Link patted Sir Oliver twice on the back. "You fought excellently, Sir Oliver," Link said to the defeated knight, smiling.

"The same can be said for you. We must have a rematch one day," he replied, with a grin on his face. "Never have I been in a battle quite like that."

They shook hands and turned towards the King of Hyrule. Link kneeled before him.

"Arise, young warrior," the King addressed him. "Link, where did you learn to fight like that? Nobody's ever been able to defeat any of my knights in battle before!"

Link shrugged. "I suppose I just picked it up, Your Majesty."

"Is that so?" The King laughed. "You have a miraculous gift, and with it you have bravely earned your reward of 1000 Rupees."

The crowd cheered as Link was presented with a chest containing many red Rupees.

"Tell me, brave Link," the King began. "What do you intend on doing with your treasure?"

"I plan to give it to a friend of mine, who needs the money to build a new fence around their land."

"Splendid! The boy is talented, courageous and selfless. Everybody, give it up for Link!" he bellowed.

The audience erupted in another round of applause.

"Link, I would like to invite you to dine with us tonight in the castle. I hope you are able to accept," the King said, knowing full well that he would, and had no choice.

"I would be honoured to dine with you, sir" Link replied.

"Excellent! The gates will be open for you as soon as the sun sets."

TBC

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter. In case anybody was wondering, the sword Link is using is the one Link uses in Spirit Tracks. Tell me what you think. If there are any characters that you would like to see in this fic, don't hesitate to ask. I live hearing suggestions. The next chapter shall be coming soon. **


	3. Chapter 3: The Feast

Chapter Three: The Feast

As soon the King dismissed him, Link was racing Epona towards Lon Lon Ranch. He couldn't wait to see the look on Malon's face once she received her chest of Rupees.

"So how about that! I knew you would win, Link," Navi said along their journey. "Piece of cake!"

Link laughed at his fairy companion. "I definitely was not expecting to King to invite me to dinner though."

"Maybe he'll knight you," she said excitedly.

"I doubt it," he said, "but your guess is as good as mine."

Upon arriving at the ranch, Link let Epona loose with the other horses and went to find Malon. He quickly found Malon in the stables feeding the cows a fresh batch of hay.

"Oh hi Link," she greeted him.

"Hey Malon," he replied. "You'll never guess what I did today."

"Knowing you, I probably won't. What did you do?" she asked.

"I entered the King's tournament, beat Sir Oliver, got invited to dinner with the King and Princess and won you 1000 Rupees to fix your fence."

"No way!" Malon practically screamed. "You went through all that just to help me out?"

"The tournament was actually really enjoyable. It beats defeating Deku Babas any day," Link said. "Besides, I like helping my friends out."

"My father is going to be so pleased when he sees the new fence. Can you just imagine his reaction?" she said gleefully.

Link smiled. Talon would be just ecstatic as his daughter was, he was sure of it.

"Look Malon," Link said awkwardly, "I'd hate to leave you like this but I've got to get doing if I want to make it in time for this dinner with the King."

"Oh, yes of course. You're so lucky, Link. I wonder what the King wants to talk to you about," she said.

"I've been wondering the same thing."

After Link had left the chest of Rupees with Malon, Link arrived back at Hyrule Castle. Usually at this time of the day, security outside the castle was pretty tight, but not for Link. All he would need to do is climb over the cliff and swim through the moat to get inside the castle's walls. The knights on guard would never be able to catch him. Link very rarely got caught by anybody.

Tonight there would be no need to sneak in though. He didn't need to prove who he was to the guards at the gate. Everybody knew who he was now. He was Link, the young man clad in green, the best swordsman in the kingdom.

The knight at the gate walked him up to the castle wall, where none other than the beautiful Princess Zelda was waiting for him.

"Good evening, Link," Zelda smiled at him. "You fought very gallantly today."

"Thank you, Princess," Link replied. Suddenly he became somewhat nervous around her. Princess Zelda was taller than he had expected, though he still exceeded her height by a few inches.

"Please, call me Zelda," she said. "Come. I'll escort you to the dining room."

They walked through a courtyard with a running fountain centred in the middle. All the hedges surrounding the stone pathways were trimmed evenly and neatly. Green vines grew up the walls, perfect for climbing, Link thought inwardly. The cherry blossom trees were blooming, except for one oak tree which sat to the left of the fountain. It was like walking through a fairy tale land.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Zelda said, noticing him staring. "This is my favourite court yard in the castle."

"There's more!" What anybody would possibly need three courtyards for, Link did not know, but he thought it was best not to ask.

Zelda laughed. "Only two more. I usually read under the oak tree and practice my archery here."

"Are you as good an archer as they say you are?" he asked. He was gaining his confidence around he quicker than he was expecting to.

"Well that all depends on who 'they' are what they say."

Link chuckled. She was quick. "Word in Castle Town says that you're quite the archer. Apparently your swordsmanship too, is also exceptional."

"My swordsmanship is nothing in comparison to yours. And that is exactly why my father invited you here," she said, offering him a sweet smile.

Link returned the smile. Maybe the King was going to knight him after all, just like Navi had said.

They were walking inside now. Blazing torches were lit up against the walls lightening up the carpeted hallway. Zelda lead him up a flight of stairs and entered a large dining room. Above the long mahogany table hung an immaculate chandelier half the size of Link's room in the Kakariko Inn.

"Take a seat Link. My father won't be here for a while. He's always late, but don't tell him I said that," she whispered, with a mischievous smirk on her face.

Link and Zelda sat opposite each other, leaving the seat at the head of the table for the King. In front of them, the table was set for the three and Link found himself wondering how great the castle food would be like. He couldn't wait.

When the King entered the room, Link stood up, but the King immediately told him to sit back down again. "No need for all that, Link." The King seated himself down, filling his goblet with wine.

"Now," began the King, taking a sip of his wine. "I suppose you've been a bit curious as to why I have invited you here tonight. It is because I wanted to ask you a favour."

"Anything," Link replied instantly.

The King laughed. "You don't even know what I'm about to ask you, yet you agree anyway. Excellent!" He responded, enthusiastically. "However, I'm afraid that this favour I am asking you to do, is going to be more challenging than anybody has faced before."

"Hey!" Zelda exclaimed defensively.

The King only laughed and continued specking to Link. "Since you have proved yourself as being the best swordsman in Hyrule, I would like you to help train my daughter, just like Sir Oliver had done since she was a child. Sir Oliver made it known to me a few days ago that Zelda has been improving her swordsmanship rapidly and that she needed a new teacher. I would like you to be that teacher, Link. Now, what do you say?"

This was not what Link had been expecting at all. Though Link found the Princess enchanting and the opportunity to help her with her swords skills was too good to decline. He didn't consider himself much of a teacher, but Link figured he was bound to think of something eventually.

"It would be a privilege to teach you a thing or two, Princess," Link said, addressing her for the first time in her father's presence.

"Good," the King before Zelda could reply. The King raised his goblet and the three of them clunked their glasses together, sealing their arrangement. "Now that that's done and dusted, let's eat."

A servant placed a lamb roast on the table surrounded by cooked carrots, turnips, onions and brussel sprouts. Link felt his mouth water. He hadn't eaten a decent roast in years. Most of his evening meals consisted of stews, stews and more stews. He hadn't even eaten a carrot in ages either, as he would save them for Epona.

"So when shall we start?" Link asked the Princess.

"Usually Sir Oliver and I train every second day after lunch, so why don't we start tomorrow and go from there," she suggested.

"Anytime is fine by me. Where shall we meet?"

"I presume you'll be able to find your way back to the courtyard..."

"The courtyard it is," Link agreed.

That night when Link was lying in his bed at the Kakariko Inn, he tried to plan out in his head how exactly he would teach Zelda. He figured that they would first have a battle, so he could learn what she did and didn't already know. As for the rest of it, Link was clueless. He hoped that by the time for their training session came, everything would magically work itself out. That's how it usually worked for Link.

When Link started dreaming, he didn't dream of evil Cuccos chasing him around Hyrule that night. He dreamt of Princess Zelda with her sword in her hand, looking elegant and stunning yet, at the same time, menacing and deadly. Teaching the Princess was going to be interesting...

**TBC**

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review as feedback is much appreciated. I'd love to know what you guys think of it. I'll try to update as soon as I can. I think you guys can easily assume what's going to happen next. Thanks for reading. It's been fun. **


	4. Chapter 4: The First Training Session

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Don't forget to review. I want to hear what you think. If there are any questions about the fic, don't hesitate to ask. **

Chapter Four: The First Training Session (Part I)

Zelda woke up the next morning rolling off her bed and opening up the curtains, letting the morning light encompass the room. She opened the window and tightened her robe around her body as the cool air rushed into the room. The sky was bright blue full of white fluffy which dotted the atmosphere.

She had slept through breakfast, but she didn't mind. She would have to sneak down to the kitchens before her studies to pinch an apple to munch on. Before lunch, Zelda was expected to be in the library, studying the books about Hyrule's history. Her father had told her when she was younger that it was imperative for her to learn the history of the kingdom if she was going to be a great ruler some day.

"Those who have no knowledge of the past are destined to repeat it," he had said.

Ever since she could remember she had been reading about the history of Hyrule and how the Three Goddesses, Din, Farore and Nayru had created the land. Zelda usually found herself getting easily distracted as ever since she was a child, she would love to read about the legendary Hero of Time.

Once again, Zelda found herself reading about the Hero for the thousandth time again that morning. It was believed that if an evil force tried to steal the Triforce's power for themselves, then the Triforce would separate causing many evil monsters to raid the land, corrupting everything. Only the Hero of Time had the power to restore the land back to normal.

It was also believed that the mysterious Hero of Time possessed an enchanted sword, called the Blade of Evil's Bane, or otherwise known as the Master Sword. Legend had it that the sword had been blessed by the three goddess themselves when they had created the land and it was the only weapon that could rid the land of the evil that resided there. Only the Hero of Time was worthy enough to wield such a powerful blade.

Zelda spend many moments staring at the sketch of the famous sword in her book. It was magnificent! It had a blue handle that looked like it had wings. Zelda wondered what it would be like to wield a blade like the Master Sword.

Zelda had lunch with Impa outside Zelda's chambers on the balcony, other looking the kingdom. They were eating sandwiches of salmon caught from Lake Hylia, rocket leaves and goat cheese. Simple, yet delicious. It was Zelda's favourite (with the exception of the cook's sugary desserts but that went without saying).

"Excited for your training session with Link today," Impa asked her. She seemed more excited about it then she was.

"I suppose so," Zelda replied. "It won't be the same as training with Sir Oliver but I'm sure I'll get used to it."

"From the sound of it, Sir Oliver isn't capable of furthering your skills any more." Impa said, proudly.

"I bet he's just saying that to be polite. I wonder what Link will teach me," Zelda wondered.

"A swordsman like him is bound to have plenty of tricks to teach you. Not only is a great swordsman though, he was handsome too," Impa said.

"Was he? I hadn't noticed," Zelda lied, very unconvincingly.

"Oh, I saw the way you were looking at him yesterday at the tournament, Zelda," she laughed.

"I was looking at him no more than the rest of the people in the stands were. And how could you not, did you not see the way he fought yesterday, Impa? He was incredible." Zelda said, hoping that she would let it drop

"If you say so," she said.

"I _do_ say so," she reaffirmed. Zelda was willing to admit that Link fascinated her and was an excellent fighter, but never would see admit that she _liked _him. She barely even knew him.

After they had finished eating, Impa dug out Zelda's training attire and set it out on her bed. Zelda's training garments consisted of a simple purple tunic, a thin chain mail shirt, brown pants and boots. She preferred to dress like this when she was training, as to not trip over her skirts so much. When Zelda wore this outfit that was when her true personality began to show.

Zelda wasn't overly girly like most girls she had met over the years. Sure, she enjoyed the occasional ball, but what Zelda really enjoyed above all was archery and practicing her sword skills. She also liked to have adventures and to get her hands dirty. Sometimes she would get so fed up of being inclosed within the castle walls that she would sneak out, concealing herself under her hooded robe, and take a walk wherever her feet led her.

She enjoyed the outdoors, no matter whether it was day or night. She loved the light and excitement of the day, and at night she would to glaze up at the stars for hours upon hours. The dead silence of the night had always been soothing to her.

Once she had changed her clothing, Zelda picked up her sword and shield from underneath her bed. Her shield was the same as the one the knights used, baring the Triforce symbol and red bird on it. Zelda had a shining, shinny blade with a golden hilt. It was perfectly suited for her, the balancing just right.

Perched on the edge of the fountain, Link was waiting for her. He looked up, surprised to see her in a completely different outfit that what she usually wore.

Zelda caught him staring but pretended not to notice. "Good afternoon, Link," she greeted him.

"Good afternoon, Princess," he said, standing up.

"This is the second time I've had to tell you to call me Zelda," she said.

"And this is the second time I didn't listen to you," he retorted boldly.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "So that's how it's going to be, is it?"

Link shrugged. "It seems so, Princess," he said quirking his lip into a crooked smile.

Zelda smirked at the ground, hoping he wouldn't notice, but he noticed. It seemed that this would be the beginning of a battle she would never win.

"You ready to go?" Link asked.

"Go? Aren't we staying here?" She asked.

"I thought it would be nice to go out to the field."

"Good idea. We'll just have to go around Castle Town. Follow me."

Zelda led him over a bridge where the ended up in front of a cliff.

"Um...shouldn't we be going _around_ the cliff?" Link said, puzzled as to way the had been walking directly towards it.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me you can't climb," she teased, and just like that, Zelda had hoisted herself onto the surface of the cliff, using the tangled vines to pull herself up. Zelda turned her head around to face Link who was staring up at her as if she had gone mad. "Well?"

"Right," he said, nodding his head and walking up to the cliff face.

"And don't look at my ass," she added sternly.

Never had Link been as confused as he had in that moment. Did Zelda have a crazy twin that he didn't know about? Of course not, he thought, that would be ridiculous. Though Link figured that if he was going to be spending time with Zelda on a regular basis, then he would have to learn to play along.

Link jumped onto the vines below Zelda. "Well now that you said not to...," he joked.

"Hey!" She shouted at him.

Link laughed. "I'm only kidding."

"Sure you are, wise guy," said said, thankful that he couldn't see her blush.

They reached the top of the cliff where they had an excellent view of their surroundings. Zelda was right. This way they could walk right around Castle Town, directly to Hyrule Field without anybody noticing them.

As Link led the Princess towards a river situated near the outskirts of the field, he took the time to ask her about her swordsmanship.

"How long as Sir Oliver been teaching you?" he asked.

"Since I was ten. So nine years," she replied.

Link's jaw dropped. "Every second day since the day you were ten?" Link was astonished. If that wasn't dedication he didn't know what was.

"I've only fought with him though. I don't know what it's like to be in combat with somebody else," she admitted.

"It's a good thing you have me then," he said.

"Don't get too cocky," she warned him, amusingly.

Zelda removed her shield and sword from her baldric and placed it beside a nearby tree. She lay down on the ground resting her back up against the towering tree.

"Okay, teacher," she said crossing her arms under her breasts. "What's first?"

Without looking away from her, and with an amused expression on his face, Link removed his glove from his left hand and threw it on the ground before her.

"Princess Zelda, I challenge thee to a duel."

**TBC**

**A/N: Wow, this chapter was so fun to write. What did you think? I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but I promise not be keep anybody waiting too long, especially with ****_that_**** cliff-hanger. Thanks for reading. **


	5. Chapter 5: The First Training Session

**A/N: Thank you to those who have left me some really awesome reviews so far. They're really encouraging and they never fail to put a smile on my face.**

Chapter Five: The First Training Session (Part II) 

"Princess Zelda, I challenge thee to a duel."

Zelda stood up from her position against the tree and picked up her sword and shield.

"Let's not use the shield for now. That can come afterwards," Link said.

Zelda dropped the shield back onto the ground and turned to face Link.

"I must warn you. If you hurt me I could have you hanged for treason," she advised him with a playful tone in her voice.

Link smirked. He raised his blade in front of them, so it was resting along the blade of Zelda's sword.

"I'd like to see you try." And without warning, Link swung his sword in her direction. Zelda easily blocked his attack.

Link side-stepped to the left and their swords met for several minutes. Link fought almost effortlessly, somewhat showing off by holding his stance and not moving a muscle, except for his left arm which was skilfully wielding his sword. Link quickly began to notice the faults in Zelda's attacks. She often repeated her blows in a pattern, which became easy for him to figure out.

Link tried to mix up their routine by stepping towards her and bashing his sword at her. Moving quickly, Zelda leaned backwards to avoid his attack, countering with a diagonal slash to defend herself.

She was good.

Link continued to step towards her delivering all sorts of slashes in her way. She stepped backwards and almost stumbled over her feet.

"Try not to fall, Princess" Link grinned at her.

"Only if you're stop calling me that," she argued.

"Then I'm afraid you're going to be stumbling over for a very long time," he laughed.

Zelda met her attacks with Link's and soon they were fighting parallel to the river. Link launched his next assault, but yet again she blocked it.

She blocked it!

"See. You _are_ as good as they say you are," Link complimented her.

"Sir Oliver was a very good teacher," she replied, striking her sword in a way that Link had never seen before. The strike came completely without warning, and the sheer strength of it took him by surprise, which not maybe people were capable of doing. At the last millisecond he jumped to the side and suddenly Zelda was standing on the edge of the river.

"Do you give up yet?" he asked playfully.

"Never." She slashed at him in a downward strike. Link blocked it and took half a step forward. Any further and she would have sent her falling into the stream. She tried to step a few inches back but she had nowhere to go. She was trapped. Link had her now, yet she was too stubborn to admit defeat.

Any slash that Zelda made there after was hopeless as Link continued to block her attacks rather than fighting back and advancing his own assaults.

Zelda released a deep breath that she hadn't realised she was holding.

"Fine," she mumbled, lowering her sword. "You win."

"Sorry, I couldn't quite here that," he said, mockingly brushing his hair from his ear.

"I'm not saying it again," she said stubbornly. Zelda nudged him aside so she could step away from the riverbank.

"You fought brilliantly though," he said, earning a soft smile from the Princess.

"And what advice do you have for me?" she asked inquisitively.

"At the beginning you started to fall into a pattern which is not good. You don't want your enemy to be able to figure out what your next move will be. You want to be able to take them by surprise so they lose their concentration, but you did pretty well at that afterwards."

"Shall I swing my sword around like a madman next time? Would that take you by surprise?" She asked jokingly.

Link laughed. "Possibly."

They spent the next hour going through various techniques that Zelda could use in real life situations against monsters and other foes.

Link taught her of ways she could easily alter her striking pattern and how to respond various unexpected attacks.

Link also began to show her some techniques using the shield.

"You won't always use the shield during a battle. You may find yourself using the shield for a whole variety of reasons. Such as for the Deku Shrubs," he said.

"Why would I want to attack a Deku Shrub?"

"You won't be attacking the Deku Shrub," he assured her. "You'll only be defending yourself from it by reflecting the Deku Nuts back at it."

Link reached into his pockets and fished out some Deku Nuts.

"You can't be serious! " Zelda exclaimed.

"Hey, it won't be my fault if I hit you, only yours for not defending yourself correctly," Link retorted.

Zelda rolled her eyes. "I think you should reconsider your teaching methods."

"I'm just making this up as I go along, Princess," Link winked at her.

"Fine," Zelda said, readying her shield. "Hit me."

Link threw the Deku Nut towards her. She deflected the Nut, making it fly back in a diagonal direction.

"You want to be able to hit the nut straight at me. Try to make it hit the middle of your shield," Link said.

Link threw a second Deku Nut. Zelda managed to hit the Deku Nut back in a straight line however this time it was too low for it to hit Link.

On the third try Zelda deflected it perfectly. Link pulled out his sword to hit it out of the way.

They continued practising like that for a while until Link decided that they had covered enough ground for one day.

"Meet again in two days?" Link confirmed.

"That would be good," Zelda replied. "I really enjoyed this training session, Link. You're a good teacher."

"Why thank you, Princess. It is my pleasure," he said, bowing at her mockingly.

"Yet you ruin it when you call me Princess and taunt me with your consistent mockery," Zelda said, though she didn't sound very annoyed about it at all.

Link smiled like a proud idiot. Zelda rolled her at him trying to suppress a laugh.

"Come on," he said, slinging his shield onto his back. "I'll walk you back."

They journeyed the same way they had arrived, walking along the cliff to where the vines could help them to the ground.

"Where did you _really _learn to fight like that?" Zelda asked.

"I told you. I just picked it up," he stated.

"Who taught you?" she insisted.

"I did."

"_Right_, because you're such a great teacher that you even taught yourself," she said sarcastically.

"It's true!" He defended. "I just taught myself."

"Okay, I believe you," she gave up. "So what's on the agenda for next time?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see," he said, mysteriously. Truth be hold, Link had no idea, but he had the whole day tomorrow to figure something out.

They arrived back at the courtyard where they departed in separate directions. Zelda thanked him for walking her back to the castle and for a great first training session. She was looking forward to the next one more than she was willing to admit. Fighting with Link gave her an excitement that she had never quite felt before, and she didn't want that feeling to go away.

Zelda wasn't expected to do any studies or anything else after her training session as it was already getting dark. She sat down at the dinner table with her father who asked her how her day was.

"It was quite enjoyable," she told him. "I'm glad that Link entered the tournament. He taught me many great skills today."

"Marvellous," he beamed. "I knew he wouldn't let me down."

When Zelda went to bed that night, her thoughts kept drifting back to her training session with Link. She was trying to hold onto that feeling she had felt during their duel, that feeling that had filled to to the core with excitement. Eventually, after her deep thinking, Zelda cam to the realisation that the feeling, whatever it was, wasn't only there when they were duelling, but just being around Link made her feel that way. She didn't know how to describe it.

Zelda thought back to the conversation she had had with Impa earlier. Perhaps she did like Link. She may not have been willing to admit it to herself at the time, but after seeing Link that day, Zelda could hardly pretend that he wasn't handsome. She liked the way his messy blonde hair fell over his sparkling blue eyes and even they way his green hat never seemed to fall off his head. He made her laugh and she truly felt that she could be herself around him, and that she could trust him.

"Oh crap," she mumbled to herself, tossing under the covers. She _did_ like him.

**TBC**

**A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this installment just as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sorry that my update took longer though. It's hard to update during the week during school. So thanks for reading and please review. See ya. **


	6. Chapter 6: The Dark Woods

Chapter Six: The Dark Woods

On the day of Zelda's next training session, Link woke up knowing exactly how to spend the next training session with Zelda. He had been up all night pacing up and down the room trying to think up some new strategies to teach her, or some new sword techniques but nothing came to mind. His mind keep on drifting off to how stunning Zelda looked and how he longed to hold her close and run his fingers through her long golden hair.

Yesterday had not been a good day for Link. His mind was so distracted that he almost fell off Epona while they were racing through the field. Navi teased him about it for hours.

"What's on your mind, Link?" she had teased, hovering in front of him.

"Nothing you need concern yourself with," he had replied.

"Well if you're going to keep falling off your horse then clearly I should be concerned."

"I didn't fall."

"You haven't fallen _yet!_"

Link rolled his eyes at his fairy companion. He wasn't planning on telling Navi that he couldn't stop thinking about Zelda. He would not have been able to bear her taunting.

As Link opened his chamber window, he wondered whether he would be able to get away with his new. From what Link gathered, Zelda seemed more adventurous and brave than most women, and he couldn't imagine her objecting to it. As for her father he wasn't so sure. If anything were to happen to Zelda, the King would have his head.

However, Link couldn't think of a better way to train Zelda, so he decided to do it anyway.

Zelda walked into the courtyard that afternoon where Link was waiting in his spot on the fountain, waiting for her.

"Princess," he greeted, standing up.

"Link," she replied, pretending as if he didn't just call her that.

"Ready? We're going to be travelling a fair distance to get to where we'll be training" he said, as they began walking outside the castle.

Zelda raised an eyebrow. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see," he said without any further explanation. "My mare Epona is waiting for us outside the castle."

"Had I known we were riding I could have saddled my own horse," she said.

Link smirked. "Something tells me your horse may not like where we are going"

Zelda looked worried. "Where are we going?" She repeated.

Link signed. There would be no keeping secrets from the Princess. "The woods."

"Which wood?" she insisted.

"The dark one."

"The Dark Woods? Are you crazy?!"

"Don't tell me you're afraid of the deep dark scary forest, Princess," he said, amused by her reaction.

"Yeah right," she said. "If my father finds out where you're taking me-"

"It'll be fine," he waved her off. "Besides, your father gave me clear instructions to enhance your sword fighting skills. He never said anything about _how _I should enhance your sword fighting skills." They had reached Epona and Link hoisted himself onto her back. He extended his hand towards Zelda.

Zelda smirked up at him, shaking her head from side to side. "I can't believe this," she said, as she lifted herself onto Epona, settling behind Link.

"Trust me, this will be good for you."

"You're going to get us both killed!"

"Relax. I go to the Dark Woods all the time," he said causally. "Nothing will hurt us. I'll protect you."

Zelda smiled warmly. As Link set Epona off into a sprint, Zelda wrapped her arms around Link's waist. Zelda knew that she was capable enough of protecting herself, yet she liked the feeling of knowing that she had Link to protect her too. It made her feel safer than she had ever felt before, despite the fact that they were heading towards one of the most dangerous woods in the realm.

"Why would you want to go to the Dark Woods all the time?" she asked. "I couldn't think of anything worse."

"As a kid I used to own a slingshot. The only place that ever seemed to supply any Deku Nuts was the Dark Woods," he told her.

"You went there as a _child_!" She shouldn't have been surprised.

"Hey! I needed Deku Nuts!" he defended feebly

Zelda giggled. "You'd put yourself through all that, just for some lousy Deku Nuts."

Link laughed, turning his head around to see Zelda smiling at him. "I guess I can see your point."

"You seem to have had a very adventurous childhood." Zelda couldn't help but feel a little bit envious.

"You have no idea." Link recalled the day when he have been given the Master Sword to protect. He brushed that memory aside, not wanting to dwell on the subject further. "What was your childhood like?"

"Not quite as adventurous as hunting for Deku Nuts," she laughed. Link loved the sound of her laughter. "My childhood was no much different from my life now. I've been trained since birth to be the perfect Queen of Hyrule someday. I don't have much time for doing anything else, although I don't mind it so much. It can get really lonely sometimes though. I never had any friends growing up. Just Impa, my handmaid, and my mother died when I was young.

Link softly squeezed her hands that were resting against his abdomen. He felt sorry for her and wanted to comfort her, but there was only so much you could do while riding a horse. "I hope that one day you'll find true happiness, Princess."

"Thank you," she said, "I hope so too."

They reached the outskirts of the forest, getting there in no time at the speed Epona was galloping at. Link led Epona into the edge of the woods and jumped off the mare, landing onto the sodden forest floor. The woods were so thick with trees, bushes and vines that there was barely any sunlight penetrating through it, not for the sun to soak up the soil's moisture.

Link helped Zelda off Epona and began wading into the forest.

"Do you know where you're going?" She asked sceptically.

"Sure..." he answered, unconvincingly

Zelda hit in him the side playfully. "I can't believe you're just going to walk aimlessly into the forest, waiting for some monster to jump up in your face so you can teach me how to defend myself."

Link shrugged his shoulders. "I'm open to suggestions."

Zelda rolled her eyes. She had been doing that a lot since she met Link.

The further they walked into the forest, the more dark and difficult it became for them to see.

"Hey Link, I should probably mention something," she said.

Link glanced at her quizzically. "What is it?"

"I've never fought in the dark before. Well, not _this _dark before."

"After all those years training with Sir Oliver, he never thought taught you how to fight in the dark?"

Zelda began to look anxious. "I guess not," she mumbled to the ground.

"It's alright, Zelda. You'll be perfectly safe."

Zelda smiled. "You called me Zelda."

Link smiled back.

He drew his sword, urging Zelda to do the same.

"Use that diagonal move that I taught you last time on me," he said.

Zelda slashed her sword at him. Their swords danced and clanged until Link signalled for them to stop.

"See," he said. "Nothing to worry about."

They continued walking into the forest, Link slashing away at any overgrown plants blocking their path.

"We won't go too far. Any further and we won't be able to see at all."

After a few minutes ambling through the tangled green mess of the woods, they came across two Deku Babas hiding amidst the tall grass.

"You first," Zelda urged him, stepping backwards so he was closer to the deadly plants.

Link laughed. "I'll show you what to do, and then you can try it on the second one."

He stepped towards the frenzied plant. "Make sure you hold your shield up as you move towards them. They tend to jump out at you when you're not expecting it. Either dodge it by jumping to the side and strike at them then, or just hit it as it comes towards you."

Link approached the Deku Baba, its mouth wide open revealing its tongue. The plant snapped at him just like he said it would, and Link slashed at it across its wide open mouth. He finished it off with a downward strike and its head fell to the ground. Then Link picked up a Deku Nut that was left behind.

"Your turn," he said, tossing the Deku Nut in his palm. Link perched himself against and tree and watched how she dealt with the second Deku Baba.

"You make it look so easy," she said.

"It is easy."

Zelda rolled her eyes again. She inched towards the deadly plant. It looked as if it was going to eat her.

"What happens if it eats me?" she asked half joking and half nervously.

"Then I'll kill it," he stated simply.

Zelda took a deep breath. Raising her sword and shield she edged closer to it. She was expecting it to jump out at her like it had done to Link, but instead it continued to bob its head from side to side, opening and closing its mouth, hungrily.

"Strike it now," Link advised her.

Zelda did as he said and slashed at its neck, causing its head to fall to the ground, defeated. Or so Zelda thought. Suddenly its head started jumping towards her. Zelda quickly jumped out of the way and swung her sword at it. Zelda checked this time, just to make sure it was dead, just in case. She picked up the Deku Nut and tossed it to Link. He pocketed the Deku Nut.

"Told you. Easy."

Zelda exhaled and they continued walking further into the woods.

**TBC**

**A/N: Thanks guys for being patient with me. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think. Feedback is always appreciated. **


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